Our Theory of Change
Climate change is a real, complex, urgent challenge, and students need opportunities to learn about it and take meaningful action. Project-based learning (PBL) creates those opportunities by positioning students in real roles to explore real problems and design real responses, helping them build deep knowledge, disciplinary skills, and a sense of agency.
But designing and facilitating high-quality climate justice PBL is challenging: it requires both strong pedagogical training and a nuanced understanding of climate science and its social contexts. We believe that by supporting educators in building both, and by connecting local and global perspectives, we can help learners grow into empathetic, informed members of a global community working toward climate justice.
About the Initiative
Through a tiered model of professional learning, community leadership development, and research—including virtual design sprints, an asynchronous leadership course, and a 5-month fellowship—this initiative empowers educators to build the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to lead climate justice–focused project-based learning. By strengthening individual capacity and fostering local communities of practice rooted in a shared commitment to climate education, we aim to grow a global network of educators working collectively to address the climate crisis through meaningful learning.
Global Design Sprint - Uganda cohort (November 2024)
Global Design Sprint - Nigeria cohort (November 2024)
Get Started
Curious about climate-focused PBL? Start your journey here!
A Design Sprint is a fast-paced dive into the climate justice project design process, facilitated by Penn GSE, where educators brainstorm multiple ideas and develop one into a first-draft “project sketch.” There are two ways to participate in a PBL for Global Climate Justice Design Sprint:
- Individually: At our Virtual Design Sprints, individual educators can join the 4-hour synchronous workshop alongside other individual educators around the world.
- As a Group: Led by a trained Site Host (see “Become a Global Design Sprint Site Host”), a group of educators in the same location can gather in person and join one of our hybrid Global Design Sprint workshops.
In both Design Sprint formats, participants leave with a concrete project idea to implement in their classroom, school, or community and a stronger grasp of project-based learning, whether they’re brand-new to PBL or seasoned practitioners.
This is a great opportunity for educators interested in learning about and designing project-based approaches to climate education.
Join our mailing list to be notified when details about upcoming Design Sprints are available.
The PBL for Global Climate Justice Leadership Course is a free, self-paced, asynchronous course that supports educators in designing authentic, climate justice–focused projects through Penn GSE PBL’s project-based learning framework. Through videos, readings, and interactive assignments, participants deepen their understanding of PBL, explore local and global climate challenges, and develop strategies to lead and sustain educator communities committed to collective climate action.
This is a great opportunity for educators who have joined a Virtual or Global Design Sprint and want to deepen their expertise in PBL, climate justice, and leading educator communities.
The PBL for Global Climate Justice Leadership Course is officially open for enrollment!
March 2025 Global Design Sprint - China cohort
November 2024 Global Design Sprint - Taiwan cohort
Continue Your Journey
Ready to keep building? Explore next steps with Penn GSE!
Educators who have participated in a Virtual or Global Design Sprint and completed the Leading PBL for Global Climate Justice course are invited to take the next step in their leadership journey by applying to serve as a Global Design Sprint Site Host. Site Hosts are key partners who connect their local educator community with live hybrid Global Design Sprint events. With planning support from Penn GSE, they recruit a group of local educators, prepare a gathering space, attend planning meetings, and lead their group through in-person activities during the Global Design Sprint.
The next Global Design Sprints will take place on January 17, 2026. Two Global Design Sprints will take place on that day: Global Design Sprint EAST will be held at a time that is more convenient for sites in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and Global Design Sprint WEST will be held at a time that is more convenient for sites in North and South America.
Global Design Sprint EAST: 5AM - 9AM Philadelphia Time
Global Design Sprint WEST: 11AM - 3PM Philadelphia Time
Interested in joining the Site Host team? The application is now open!
Priority Deadline: December 1, 2025
Final Deadline: December 8, 2025
The Project-Based Learning for Global Climate Justice: Leadership Fellows is an intensive program that supports visionary educators around the world who are leading innovative, locally grounded, project-based learning (PBL) initiatives that advance climate justice. Rooted in the belief that PBL is one of the most powerful ways for students to learn about and take action on climate change and that effective climate justice education must respond to the specific needs, goals, and opportunities of local communities, the Fellowship aims to support educator-led initiatives that are grounded in local contexts while contributing to global learning and impact.
The purpose of the PBL for Global Climate Justice Fellowship is to identify, support, and empower leaders who spark and sustain educator learning and collaborative efforts related to PBL for Global Climate Justice in their local context. In this cohort-based program, Fellows establish local leadership goals, develop and implement their Leadership Initiative plans, receive guidance to strengthen their community’s capacity for PBL for global climate justice, and track and share their results within a collaborative community of Fellows. The goal is for Fellows to have a real and immediate impact on their communities and contribute to a global community where the world can learn from their efforts.
The Leadership Fellows application is now closed. If you are interested in being more involved in PBL for Global Climate Justice, apply to be a Site Host for our next Global Design Sprint!
Join Our Mailing List
To stay up-to-date on all upcoming events and opportunities to engage with PBL for Global Climate Justice initiatives, sign up to receive our emails!
Our Approach in Action
Connecting Local and Global Climate Realities
Climate issues are deeply contextual, and both educators and students benefit from exploring the dynamics within their own communities as well as understanding the diverse ways climate change is experienced around the world. Our programming centers on actively connecting educators to share local experiences, learn from one another, and build global solidarity in the shared effort to address climate change through education.
“At the Global Design Sprints, we are building one community to address global climate issues.”
Preparing Educators to Lead High-Quality Climate Justice Projects
Designing and implementing high quality project-based learning focused on issues of global climate justice requires both extensive professional learning around project-based learning and sophisticated understanding of climate issues.
Educators who participate in our Design Sprints and online courses engage with knowledge developed by an interdisciplinary team of Penn-affiliated experts alongside insights and ideas from a global network of educators actively applying what they’ve learned through our initiatives.
“Watching my PreK students become curious explorers and environmental artists showed me how even young learners can engage with real-world issues like environmental stewardship. Through projects like building a 3D tree model, they developed collaboration, critical thinking, and a personal connection to nature, reaffirming the power of project-based learning.”
Global Design Sprint - Philippines cohort (November 2024)
Global Design Sprint - Uganda cohort (March 2025)
Fall 2024 Program Participant | USA
“I am very proud of the project I created. My students were THRILLED to learn about local issues and research how to take action. They were motivated to work through above grade-level articles to learn more.”
Lindsay Goddard, M.A.Ed.
Second Grade Teacher, San Francisco Unified School District
Empowering Local Communities of Practice
Learning is shaped by the dynamic interplay between educators, students, and curriculum within a specific local context, and designing and implementing high-quality, climate-focused PBL projects is most effective when educators collaborate with others doing similar work in their own communities.
That’s why every tier of involvement in our programs--from participating in a Global Design Sprint to becoming a Fellow--prioritizes supporting educators to build and deepen those local professional collaborations.
Advancing the Field Through Research and Practice
We share what we’re learning—through research, frameworks, and speaking at conferences—to contribute to the growing field of climate justice education and project-based learning.
Conference Appearances
- Annual International Conference on Inclusive Education and Project Based Learning for Sustainable Development Goals and Peace; United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 2022
- Deeper Learning Conference; San Diego, USA, 2023
- Climate Change Impacts and Responses; Pau, France, 2024
- Penn Climate Week; Philadelphia, USA, 2024
- Deeper Learning Conference, San Diego; USA, 2025
Articles by Us
- ASCD article: Empowering Students to Be Part of Climate-Change Solutions
- Edutopia article: 6 Ways to Guide Students to More Authentic Work in PBL
- Edutopia article: Roles that Encourage Equitable Collaborative Learning
Media Mentions
- Environmental Innovations Initiative: From the classroom to the real world
- Environmental Innovations Initiative: Innovation in Climate Education
- Penn Today: Cross-disciplinary collaboration for a healthier planet
- The Daily Pennsylvanian: Penn Graduate School of Education works with global educators to improve climate change curriculum
- Environmental Innovations Initiative: Project-Based Learning for Global Climate Justice